Refrigerator



WILLIAM K. KNUTs'oNg-or WICHIT'R'FALLS, 1

A trimmen-Enron( y "17,420, rrr.- r

T a'Z'Z whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, Winnnirr K. KNrsoN',

, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Wichita Falls,v in the county Vorf Wichita, State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Refrigerators; andjl do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such ras will enableV othei'sfslrill'ed in the art to which it appertains to make and use.the same.

rhis invention relates to new and useful ,n improvements in refrigerators and particularly to vacuum refrigerators. e v One object ofthel invention is to provide a refrigerator having an inner vacuum Awall between the outer wooden shell and the innerA compartment wall. l

Another object is to provide a refrigera-l tor which has a vacuum inner wall, an inner y compartment wall, .withl a circulating air space therebetween, and a heat excluding and cold retaining 'filling between the' vac- Figure 1 is a vertical sectional viewl through a refrigerator, on a line running parallel with the front and back of the refrigerator.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view taken Y in a plane at right angles to that of Figure 1, and passing through the door, and the smaller ice compartment.

Figure 3 is an enlarged horizontal sectional detail view through one corner of the refrigerator showing the interlocking of the vacuum walls, and a portion of the door.

Figure i is a sectional perspective view of one of the sections of the vacuum wall.

Referring particularly to the accompanying drawing, 10 vrepresents the outer shell or wall of the refrigerator, which is preferably formed from wood, but which may be formed of any other material desired. Spaced inwardly from the wooden or outer walls are the metal or composition walls 11, said walls being so grouped as `.to form the two enf,

'closures l2 and 13 each opening, on` one side, toward the front ".openingnll `of. the n refrigerator,and4 eachy being divi-ded intorup- Y Patenten .runea'mreaa y appncationmee Marien: 17, 4.1921. ,serial 1ra-45ans, i .7

per and lower compartments, asplearly seen in the sectional views# i -Within' the ycorner angle of the outershell is secured a vertical corner post 1-5 which is rabbetted through? out its entire length, as shown atY 16. .The upper compartment of thef enclosure 12 is w Y y adapted to contain. a 'small' quantity of ice" for general use such as for ice-tea', or the l1lre` so thaty the main'v ice compartment,

' whichfis the uppervone ofthe enclosure 13,-

need not be opened except .for the purpose of refilling ice. '1`he lower cempartments ofboth enclosures serve asfood spaces,A while the upper compartment ofthe enclosure 12 may also be used for food, if diesired. 1t will. be noted that the upper and;

lower compartments offboth ofthe enclosures are separated the.v horizontall transverse cold air passages 1.7, which communicate with: the vertical passagesglS, between the en-l closures, and the passages outside off said enclosures. .s I e. w f Between the"l walls. of the enclosures rand the outer shell kwalls fof the refrigeratorV are disposed, the hollow walls which .are

made up `of rectangular sections I9. Flach section comprises two side plates 19', of sheet metal which are bowed longitudinally as well as vertically or transversely, as more clearly seen in the sectional viewsofthe drawing. These plates 19 are formed with corrugations 20 which radiate from the centers of the plates toward the longer and shorter f sides thereof. The longer and shorter sides of the plates are connected by the transverse strips21, so that there is formed a completely enclosed space 22.from

which thegreater part of the air, or the en' tire amount of air has been withdrawn, so that thereis produced a vacuum or partial vacuum. Connected tothe longer and shorter marginal edges of the plates 19 are the elongated hollow metal members or tubes 23, the same being connected thereto by crimping the meeting edges thereof.y Two adjacent sides of each metal tube 23 are formed with the longitudinally extending grooves 24, while the remaining side is formed with the outwardly projectinglongi-l tudinally extending rib 25. These tubes 23 are disposed within the rabbets vof the corner posts 15, in such position that the side los rib of one tube snugly fits within one of the grooves of the other tube. y. Each of theV strips 21 Ais formed with a longitudinalV series of holes 26 to permit communication between the space within the section 19 and the attached tubes 23. Between the sections 19 and the enclosures 12 and 13 form cold air passztges-*or the circulation ous substance 27.

Between the two enclosures is disposed a tank 28 for containing drinking water, a pipe 29 leading 'from the lower portion thereof to a suitable faucet 30, externally of the front wall of the refrigerator.

VBetween the outer shell and the hollow sections 19 are disposed substantially Z- shaped braces 31 which are secured to said walls to hold them in proper spaced rela'- tion. Similar braces 32V are disposed between and secured to the sections 19 and the walls of the enclosures l2 and 13, to support the enclosures in proper spaced relation within the confines oit the lhollow sectional walls.

necting the marginal edges of the plates of the individual sectionsv and formed for interlocking engagement with other sections.

2. Avacuum wall 'for a refrigerator'comprising sections each made up of a pairoi'j y rib in the remaining unatedges orp the plates and connecting the plates, each of the tubes having a longitudinal groove 'in each of two Aof its unat taohed sides and a longitudinal rib in the remaining unattached'side. l

4. A vacuum wall section for a refrigerator including a pair oi outwardly and oppositely bowed plates, a hollow frame extending around the marginal edges of the plates `and being connected thereto, each side and end member of the hollow frame having a longitudinal groove formed in each of two adjacent sides and a longitudinal ribV in the remaining side.'

In testimony whereof, l aix my signature in the presence of two witnesses. VILLAM K. KNUTSON. Witnesses:

SAM J. BEATTIE,

FRANK J. DoRsEY. 

